The Wolf Has Sharp Teeth
by KaNugget
Summary: What if Buffy hadn't reached Oz in time to stop him from attacking Willow? What if she died? Would Oz be able to keep it together? Who will be there to keep him from breaking apart.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Author Note: This is my first Buffy fic and I wrote it a few months ago when I first started watching Buffy. I'm finally getting around to publishing (yay!) I hope you enjoy.

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Prologue

Two beasts fought in a room. A small girl coward in the in the corner. The beasts howled as they scratched and bit. Finally the male one got the upper hand. He was powered by pure rage and fury. He lunged on the female beast, biting the jugular vein in her neck. It was peaceful the way her body slumped to the ground.

The triumph, male beast sniffed the air. He smelled another. He looked at the small girl cowering in the corner. Bent in the fetal position her short red hair covered her face. The beast ran forward. She looked at him her eyes filled with betrayal. As his claws reached her neck she whispered one last word. "Oz."

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Very short, I know, but it's just the prologue. Chapter 1 will be longer. Please keep reading.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Oz awoke in his cage, naked. He had gotten use strange feeling of waking up after a transformation and didn't mind the lack of clothes anymore. He smiled thinking about how Willow's face would always turn red when she saw him the morning after. They may have already made love several times, but his naked body still made her nerves. But then the thought of Willow made Oz cringed. Memories from the past day flooded his mind.

The previous morning Willow had found Oz cuddling in his cage with Veruca. He kept telling himself that he did it to protect the civilians but he knew deep down a part of him wanted her. But that was a different part, the animal part, right?

According to Veruca, though, the human part and the animal part weren't so different. Oz shook his head, he wouldn't let her get to him like that.

As he unlocked himself from his cage and got dressed Oz began to wonder about what happened to Veruca last night. They were fighting, uncaged, when the transformation started. He couldn't remember anything after that. He hoped that he hadn't hurt Vercusa or, more importantly, had sex with her again.

Fully dressed Oz stared at the opening of the crypt that held his cage, praying that Willow would come running down the stairs to hug and forgive him. After a few moments of just standing there and staring he finally gave up hope and left. On his way back to campus he debated whether or not he should see Willow. He loved her so very much and would never want to hurt her, but he was beginning to see the lines between animal and human blur.

He decided he'd have to see Willow. Seeing her precious face would make everything clear for him. All he had to do was stare into her shiny green eyes and he'd know what to do. He reached her dorm and knocked on her door.

"It's opened," said a soft voice that belonged to Buffy.

Oz entered and took a look at the room. Willow's bed was neatly made but she was not in it. On the other bed sat Buffy, her eyes red and puffy.

Buffy made eye contact, then her eyes turned into a glare. "You have no right!" she shouted. She stood up. A normal petite blonde wouldn't have been so intimidating, but Buffy was the slayer.

"What happen?" Oz asked. He carefully eyed Willow's bed.

"Oh right, you don't remember. Just got back to your cage…permanently."

"Buffy, please," Oz said. He tried to keep his cool, tried to stop his emotions from running wild, but his concern was growing. "Where's Willow?"

Buffy simply glared. "Of course you conveniently don't remember. Well that's a load of crap. Xander says he doesn't remember being possessed by a hyena, but he so does!"

"Buffy," Oz pleaded.

"Shut up! How can you just stand there, all stoic and stuff? After what you did?"

Oz remembered how Willow was in the room when began to transform and attacked Vercusa. "Please tell me I didn't hurt her," Oz's voice cracked as he spoke. He could keep his cool in most situations, but not this one. The thought of hurting Willow was too much to bare.

"You killed her!" Buffy yelled. She lunged forward a fist formed in her hand. Then it all went black.

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Okay, so that's chapter 1. Please review! I'll update soon.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author Note:** Really short chapter, I know. Please read and review. And thanks for you review, Jeremy Shane!

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Chapter 2

Oz woke up on a couch, the faces of Xander and Giles hovering over him. "Willow?" he asked.

Giles cringed and Xander had to look away. Buffy's voice rang in Oz's ears. 'You killed her.'

"I…I…I don't even remember it." Oz was shocked at the sound of his own voice. It was shaky and uncertain. He sat up on the couch. Neither of the men would make eye contact with him.

"I…I can't be around people." Oz stood up from the couch and was determined to storm through the door. Xander, though, gently grabbed Oz's arm.

"You know we can't just let you leave," he said.

Oz was holding back tears. He wanted to argue but he knew if argued, if he even spoke, he'd losing the battle with the tears. He just let Xander lead him back to the couch.

Oz's brain was running a mile a minute. He couldn't comprehend that he killed someone he loved so very dearly, even if he was in his animal form at the time. Briefly he wondered if there was a spell that could have reversed his curse as a werewolf. Out loud Oz moaned. Never again would gaze concernly at his little witch as she casted spells and levitated pencils.

Finally Oz looked up. Xander was staring at him, with those same harsh eyes that Buffy had. In an instant, though, Xander turned his head away. Oz knew he couldn't bare to look at the murderer.

"Just kill me," Oz finally said. He voice cracked a little, so he took a deep breath and waited for himself to calm down. When he achieved peace he said, "Just put me out of my mystery like an abused pit bull."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The funeral was the next week. It was a closed casket. Though Buffy disagreed Giles told Oz that not only could he come, but he should come. The whole time, though, Oz just wanted open the lid of the casket and see the damage he had done.

He had heard the whole story. After he killed Vercusa and attacked Willow Buffy arrived. She shot him with a tranquiller and then immediately tried to tend to her best friend. She called an ambulance, but Willow was pronounced dead on arrival.

The gang was dealing with the death in many different ways. Buffy completely blamed Oz. She was aggressive towards him and he knew that if they were ever left alone together she would probably kill him. Not that he could disagree with that.

Xander had taken a quieter and equally blameful approach. He hadn't spoken more than that one sentence, _"You know we can't just let you leave,"_ It had condemned him to stay in Sunnydale, at least for the time being. Xander would stare at Oz, but only when Oz wasn't looking. But Oz could always feel the boy's gaze on him.

Giles seemed to be the only one who didn't blame Oz. He understood that it was not Oz that killed Willow, but the beast inside him. Unfortunately not even Oz believed that.

Cordial came down from LA for the funeral. While at first Oz thought she wasn't going to blame him her blunt comments made it all too obvious what she felt. "You're not going to eat me too…are you?"

After the funeral Oz got into his van. He put the key in the ignition but couldn't bring himself to turn it. All he could think about was Willow and how he hurt her. He couldn't go on without his beloved. Oz stayed parked at the cemetery for hours, late into the night. He knew it wasn't a smart idea, since it was Sunnydale, but secretly he was hoping a vampire would find him to take him out of his mystery.

There was a knock on the side of the van that scared Oz. He was day dreaming about Willow and wasn't expecting anyone to come. 'Vampire?' he asked himself.

Oz crawled to the back of the van and opened the side. He was right about it being a vampire, but that one wasn't going to hurt him. Honestly he was a little disappointed that it was the neighbor friendly vampire instead of a deadly one. "You want to come in, Angel?" he asked.

Angel nodded and entered the van. He closed the door behind him, leaving the van dark. "You shouldn't be here alone at night," Angel finally said.

"Yeah, well, I've got a death wish," Oz retorted with less sarcasm than he would have wanted.

They were silent for a while. Oz looked at the floor and Angel intensely gazed at Oz. He could see Oz even the dark. "I killed Jenny," Angel said at last.

Oz looked up confused. Jenny's death wasn't Angel's fault. He didn't do it, Angelus did.

"I have to live with the faces of the people I've killed. Every day they haunt me," Angel continued, "You will probably never forgive yourself for what happened to Willow, but the very least you can do is make penance."

Oz sighed. "I can't stay here."

"I wouldn't tell you to. I understand needing to leave."

"But I can't just run away to another city. I can't just run away to another city, like you did. I can't be around people at all."

Though Oz couldn't see it in the dark Angel nodded. He agreed. "When you're ready," Angel said at last, "There will always be a place for you in L.A. Buffy and Xander, and even Giles may not be able to forgive, but I understand." Angel then opened the van door and left Oz to himself.

Oz took solace in knowing that someone else could understand. Angel's speech gave him enough strength finally turn the key and drive and away. And he drove far away. It would take time, but somehow he would find his redemption.

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Okay, so that's the last chapter...for now. Remember, I wrote this story months ago, and now that I've read it I'm thinking I might add to it, make it a crossover, and making Oz a member of Angel's team. It's a thought, but for the timing being this is complete. Please review. :D


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